


Dreams Cannot Compare

by satonawall (forgetmequite)



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-31
Updated: 2017-12-31
Packaged: 2019-02-25 20:41:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13220847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forgetmequite/pseuds/satonawall
Summary: They hadn’t made any specific plans. For his part, Magnus had been half-certain that even restaurant reservations might jinx the whole thing. But after all the hectic work meetings and orders he’d had to get through, Magnus was more than willing to sit back, order take-out and see how many episodes of whatever they had in their Netflix queue they could work through before cuddling under a blanket would just turn into blatant lazy make-outs.Which was why it wasn’t exactly what Magnus wanted to hear when Alec said, “I thought it would be fun to go out. It’s been a while since we’ve been to your club, right?”Magnus and Alec finally manage to fit a date night into their busy schedules, but it turns out they have very different plans.





	Dreams Cannot Compare

**Author's Note:**

> Me: I guess no one reads fic on New Year's Eve because everyone has something better to do.  
> Also me: I'm going to post two, ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯.
> 
> In any case, this was loosely inspired by [Todd's tweet](https://twitter.com/toddzer1/status/947257207883624448) & some comments on it that I saw.

Magnus startled a little when Alec entered the loft, not because it was unexpected but because he’d been bracing for getting a plans-ruining phone call for the whole day and it was a small miracle that nothing of the sort had happened.

They’d both been very busy lately, barely having time for kisses in greeting as they passed each other in the kitchen or exchanging a few words when Magnus’s late entrance awoke Alec or the other way around. Tonight (and the morning after, because it had been a criminally long time since they’d been able to wake up together) had been blocked in their calendars for a good long while, sometimes the only thing keeping Magnus sane when he’d be getting back from a late emergency call to find Alec asleep sitting up, having obviously lost the battle against sleep despite wanting to stay up until Magnus’s return.

But even with a strong will to carve out time together, there were unexpected events in both of their lives that would overrule even the firmest of plans. Magnus had spent the better part of the morning distracted from his own work because he worried Alec would get a call about a surprise demon attack that could not be handled without the Head of the Institute right as he’d be leaving. When he’d finally laid that worry to rest (with Isabelle, in a very welcome surprise, informing him that she’d redirected Alec’s work calls to herself), his concern had quickly found a new problem. Alec might be happily available all evening, but that would mean nothing if Magnus himself got called in to take care of an issue only his prestige would sort out.

But there Alec was, handsome in his best smart casual and completely awake, and Magnus’s phone was still not ringing with a political crisis or a victim of some magical mishap fighting for life.

Maybe it would actually end up being a great night, Magnus thought as he crossed the living room to meet Alec, just for the two of them.

Both of them smiled into the kiss, and Alec rested his forehead against Magnus’s even after their lips had parted.

“This feels a little like a dream.”

“That makes sense. The last time we shared a proper kiss you were barely awake, Alexander.”

Alec opened his eyes, and Magnus basked in his warm, loving gaze. “My dreams cannot really compare to the real you, anyway.”

The second kiss was even longer than the first, and by the end of it, Magnus wasn’t even sure which eyes of his were looking at Alec.

“Did you have anything in mind for tonight?”

They hadn’t made any specific plans. For his part, Magnus had been half-certain that even restaurant reservations might jinx the whole thing. But after all the hectic work meetings and orders he’d had to get through, Magnus was more than willing to sit back, order take-out and see how many episodes of whatever they had in their Netflix queue they could work through before cuddling under a blanket would just turn into blatant lazy make-outs.

Which was why it wasn’t exactly what Magnus wanted to hear when Alec said, “I thought it would be fun to go out. It’s been a while since we’ve been to your club, right?”

It was. They’d been to Pandemonium somewhere early in their relationship, Magnus didn’t remember exactly. And there had been that time he’d shown Alec his favourite nightclub in Tokyo, and drinks in a few of his other favourite places around the world when they didn’t have the whole night but felt like something special anyway.

But Magnus didn’t need his sinking heart to tell him that he had not missed that one bit. He’d enjoyed it plenty, as every Shadow World gossip who’d been alive during the past century could attest, but it was... There was still a thrill for him, and probably always would be, in walking into a club and knowing no one could look away from him, that was undeniable. But sometimes he didn’t want a thrill, sometimes it couldn’t even dream of holding a candle to the warm feeling of sure love and gentle affection from just the right person.

Of course, Alec had every right to feel differently. Magnus brushed off irrational fears from his mind. This wasn’t exactly a matter of life or death for the whole of his kind, this was a simple case of different preferences for one date night. There was no greater meaning to it.

“It has been a while,” he agreed, playing for time to decide on his approach.

He didn’t get much of it. Part of the deal on that sure love was that Alec knew him and could read his moods. And he’d always been rather to-the-point.

“And you, what do you want to do?”

“I was thinking of something,” he made a vague gesture with his hand that might have encompassed the loft but didn’t really mean anything, “a little more intimate.”

Alec’s eyebrow arched in amusement, and the look in his eye was definitely interested. “Oh. Like what?”

“Hmmm.” Magnus pretended to think about it like he didn’t have a crystal-clear vision of exactly what he wanted. “You, me, teriyaki with a few cocktails and that warm blanket Catarina brought us from Chile.”

Alec’s gaze flicked to the blanket in question, draped over the sofa, and he shrugged a little. “Okay, if you want. Sounds lovely.”

It was said in a neutral tone, but despite the easy victory of his suggestion it had quite a different effect on Magnus’s mood. He fussed with the liquor bottles in his cart with the pretence of making them drinks while Alec called in their order, and it was only with some effort that he made his voice even when he, some moments later, turned around in Alec’s arms to face him and said, “I hope I’m not boring you.”

Alec blinked. “You? How would that even be possible?”

Magnus shrugged, looking away. Alec was steadfastness and loyalty personified, and that was arguably a good part of his charm. But he was also a young man who hadn’t let himself enjoy life all that much and was just beginning to explore his pleasures. It would be understandable if he wanted to party all night and walk home admiring the sunrise.

How having a centuries-old lover keen for big nights in would fit into that was a completely different issue.

He covered up by offering Alec one of the drinks. “I’m an excellent bartender, but this is hardly a club.”

Alec looked at him, and Magnus didn’t look away despite the trepidation about what Alec might see.

“Do you know why I wanted to go clubbing?” Alec asked, and didn’t give Magnus time to answer. “I like going _with_ you. You’re so- You could destroy cities and _everyone_ knows, and when you walk into a club you’re always the _hottest_ person there, you could have anyone you wanted so when you smile at me and hold me and run your finger down my arm like I’m precious, that’s the most amazing feeling ever. So, um,” he faltered, like he was finally stopping to take a breath, “no, you’re definitely not boring me. What would be boring would be a club without you.”

Magnus stared at him, and knew without having felt it that his eyes were definitely the cat eyes.

“You know,” he said, all traces of insecurity genuinely banished, strengthening his hold on Alec’s waist while tracing his forefinger down from Alec’s shoulder, “It’s only six. We’ll have plenty of time to make a little detour after dinner.”

“We don’t have to,” Alec said. He sounded like his mouth was a little dry. “This is... amazing, too.”

“It’ll be no bother.” Magnus leaned in closer, knowing Alec could feel his breath on his skin. “It sounds like you’ll want to come back soon enough, anyway.”

He could hear as well as see Alec swallow. “True.”

They had their take-out and cocktails and counted three episodes before Magnus glanced at his antique clock, made a big show of sitting up and fixed his mussed hair with a snap of his fingers.

It was a little past nine when he settled on his sofa at the VIP section of Pandemonium like it was a throne and tugged Alec down next to him. He might have missed the little hitch in Alec’s breath if he hadn’t been searching for something like it, but he was. Alec’s pupils were blown and aimed right at Magnus, and if Magnus’s answering smile was a little smug, he could hardly be blamed for that. The hottest person around had certain rights.

It wasn’t even ten when they were already back home, and around eleven, they were back on the sofa under the blanket, freshly showered and a little more happily sated than in Magnus’s imagination, but maybe Alec wasn’t the only one who found reality better than his dreams.

Magnus tilted his head so that his cheek was resting more comfortably against Alec’s shoulder. He certainly couldn’t imagine a better evening. Being with Alec had always entailed fitting together things that they were told should not go together, but it was always worth it.


End file.
